An Experiment in Facial Hair
by Now in Glorious Technicolor
Summary: A short one-shot bit of fluff that I started writing before Iron Man 3 came out. Tony and Pepper experiment in facial hair.


**Author's note:** Just a little bit of fluff. I started writing this before Iron Man 3 came out and honestly, even though it could use some more work, if I don't post it now I doubt I ever will. So here it is.

Also, I have no idea how accurate that date is on when Pepper might have started working for Tony. *shrug*

* * *

Pepper Potts flops down on the sofa next to Tony Stark, who is meticulously fiddling with a piece of machinery. Watching his nimble fingers moving like clockwork she tilts her head thoughtfully. Moving her eyes up his arms and over his shoulders she stop at his face. Pure concentration weighs heavy on Tony's handsome features. Typically the only time she ever sees him this quiet is when he works. Stopping suddenly he glances over at his girlfriend. "… What? Do I have something on my face?"

"You know, in all the years that I've known you I've never seen you clean shaven."

Tony purses his lips and hums. "Pretty sure you have."

"Pretty sure I _haven't_," she says, stressing the haven't.

He puts his project down on the coffee table. "You started working for me in '99-"

"2001."

"-2001. That's what I said. I meant." Pepper shakes her head at him. "And I didn't have any facial hair then."

"You did."

Tony sighs.

"I'm just curious how you'd look without it." Pepper leans over and covers the lower half of his face with her hand, brows knit as she studies him intently. "Hmm…"

Smile lines appear around Tony's eyes. "Haf tha luk?" He rumbles, entirely too muffled to be understood. Laughing she lets her hand slide down far enough for him to speak. "How's that look?"

"Oh, good."

"It's sexy?"

"_Very_." She says unconvincingly.

Running a hand through his hair he grins boyishly at her. A thought seizes him, shining behind his brown eyes. Taking her hand from his face Tony kisses it. "I'll be right back." He slips off the couch and disappears down the hall towards the direction of the master bedroom. Suddenly his head pops out from around the corner, "Don't go away now."

Used to silly games Pepper plucks a magazine off the coffee table and slumps back into the cushions. Quietly she flips through a couple of pages disinterestedly, thinking more about what her ridiculous boyfriend was possibly doing. BZZZ! There's a droning noise coming from down the hall. She clasps a hand over her mouth, failing to stifle a snort of laughter. "He isn't…" she murmurs to herself, mouth slightly agape. "Are you doing what I think you're doing?" She yells down the hall.

"Could be," he calls back.

A few more minutes pass before she hears from him again. "Are you ready for this?" Tony asks from down the hall. He's met by silence. "I don't think you're ready for this."

Pepper shakes her head, smiling despite her put-on annoyance. She steeples her hands in front of her. "Does everything have to be a production?"

"I think you know the answer to that. J.A.R.V.I.S., a little music please." All around the house 'Boogie Shoes' by KC and the Sunshine band starts to play. "Not my first choice but I'll run with it."

Pepper sits up in her seat, craning around to watch the hallway. Tony dances in backwards, shimmying and kicking in time to the beat. He flops over backward, head landing on Pepper's lap. "Come here often?" He grins up at her, all traces of facial hair gone.

Studying his face she leans down. "Very handsome," She murmurs, trailing the tips of her fingers around the smooth skin.

"Wanna take it out for a test drive?" Tony asks, quirking an eyebrow in what he thinks to be a suggestive manner. He leans his head back with eyes shut and lips puckered. Exasperated but complying, she places her lips against his. They brush once in a featherlight kiss before coming in again with more force.

They part just enough for Tony to speak, "Nice, huh?"

"You know, I like it but…" Pepper trails off, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I kind of miss the facial hair."

Tony's mouth flattens into a grimace. "Fickle, fickle woman." Pulling himself out of Pepper's lap he sits next to her. "Well, I guess we could just draw it back on," he mumbles sardonically.

With that Pepper is up and out of the room in a flash. "I'll go get a sharpie," she calls over her shoulder, laughing. Which leaves Tony sitting on the sofa. His eyebrows pull together, mouth screwed into a sneer.

"Pepper, I didn't mean that. You're not going to… Pepper? … PEPPER?" Tony quiets his voice, "J.A.R.V.I.S, find a way to hide all of the permanent markers."


End file.
